Nearby Towns, Puerto Vallarta

As we were driving from our hotel to the restaurant for dinner, I sincerely enjoyed the transition from crowded city to thick foliage and quaint villages. At one point, I said, to noone in particular, "This reminds me of The night of the Iguana." The taxi driver responded, "We are about to enter the village where most of The Night of the Iguana was filmed. The village is Mismaloya and as we drove through, I had very strong images of the film which I probably have not seen in at least ten years. I have not yet had a chance to explore Mismaloya, doesn't that name just sing to you, but would love to do so and would recommend it for consideration by any Taylor and Burton, or old movie, fans planning to be in the area. For a quick overview of what to expect, visit jrebekah's Mismaloya page.

Chico's Paradise is a resaurant just south of Puerto Vallarta. We took the bus there, which was a good thing. The deck overlooks a river, and local kids do swimming and diving stunts for people who toss down money to them. We had one margarita each, then decided we should split one between us. When we finished, we went for a little walk along the river bank. Then we had another 1 and a half margs each, so we were pretty looped on ths bus. I'll try to make a travelogue about it, sometime.

Notes from our 2003 trip:
-Make sure you catch the right bus, the Mismaloya-Boca bus ends at Boca de Tomatlan - 5+km away, and don't try walking the rest of the way.
-Chico's is open from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm. We found that out after we walked the 5+km from Boca (after 6:00 pm)

Prices are about the same as most restaurants in town, and the food was pretty good.

Yelapa is the largest of the remote beaches accessible only by boat that dot the southern cost of Banderas Bay. Tour boats as well as small skiffs or pangas leave for Yelapa daily with afternoon returns.

This tiny village is a true escape from civilization. With no electricity or telephones, one can really get away from it all. At night, generators supply the power for the small hotel and restaurant nestled into the jungle side. During the day, there are several beachside eateries to choose from while partaking in a favorite beach activity. A 35-meter (114.8 foot) waterfall that cascades down through the thick jungle is a great hiking and horseback destination, complete with hillside cafe that overlooks the falls pool. Many artists have taken up residence in this isolated village, adding to the local color. According to these local residents, Yelapa means "the gathering place." And that it is, members of the community and visitors from Puerto Vallarta gather each month for full moon celebrations that have become legendary.

I didn't get to this place specifically but it is very popular and often talked about. I researched it and will certainly make it there next time around.

I was travelling with some hung over travel companions who where not up for all this boating :-(

The Cathedral of the Purisima Concepcion de Maria makes for a very nice stop in Tepic's town plaza. It is a very nice and cozy church that is worth a quick stop. At this point I was getting pretty upset of not having a working camera to take pictures, so I really did not spend too much time inside (which now I am sorry for!).

The cathedral was dedicated to the Immaculate Conception (Purisima Conception). Its construction began in 1750 and completed in 1885.

This is a must see if you go to Tepic! A visit here will reward you with lots of information about the ethnic groups that live in Nayarit: the Huichols, the Cora, the Tepehuan and the Mexica.
There are lots of crafts and costumes belonging to each of them on display inside the museum.

The museum is closed on Sunday. Opening hours are 9am to 2pm and 4pm to 7pm Monday to Friday, and 10am to 2pm on Saturday.

The museum is located exactly in the house where the poet was born. I really wanted to visit the museum since Amado Nervo is considered to be the most important Mexican poet who lived in the 19th century. I was really sorry my camera broke and could not take pictures of this place. It is a very nice museum.

The walls are covered with photos taken during his lifetime. Some of his works (in original) are also on display. There are lots of paintings donated by very well known Mexican artists. I really liked the paintings of Erlinda Fuentes that are on display.

A quick stop at the museum is a must if you want to learn more about Amado's life.

The museum is closed on Sunday. Opening hours are 9am to 2pm and 4pm to 7pm Monday to Friday, and 10am to 2pm on Saturday.

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One of the main attractions here is the town church, dedicated to the Virgin de los Dolores (Virgin of Sorrows). The church construction started around 1780 and it took over 100 years to complete. It replaced an earlier church built in 1649.

A statues of the town martyr, Jose Maria Roble (a priest from a very wealthy family that was hung during the war of the Cristeros) can be also seen right by the church. He protected the church, but also the rights of the wealthy people. His statue can be found in every town church in the area.

I was really surprised to find out that there is a large square flagstone inside the church that hides the entrance to a series of tunnels connecting the church to other buildings in the plaza. These were the tunnels that were used by wealthy people to escape from robbers during the revolution and land uprisings.

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Mascota is another nice town that is an easy trip from Puerto Vallarta. The town was established aroung 1592 and its name is derived from the word "Mazocoltan", which means "The Place of Deer and Pines". It is an agricultural town and you will see lots of cows on the roads, so you need to drive carefully here.

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Hostal El Pabellon is one of the oldest buildings in town, very well preserved. You should definitely check out the building if you are in town. It is the place where El Presidente slept during his visit to San Sebastian.

There are 9 rooms that open up to a quiet inside patio garden. Their prices are very reasonable: $30 dollars for a room for 2 people per night. Each room has its own bathroom with hot water. We did not sleep in town, but I was curios to inquire about the price of a room in such an old and well preserved building.

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I really enjoyed visiting the town church. It surpassed all my expectations of how the interior would look like. I sat down inside the church and imagined how it looked 100 years ago, when people came to mass every Sunday morning. It is a very nice church and it is worth a stop while in town.